Neil Halstead is little known but much revered by his fans. His regular band Mojave 3 has put out five albums over 1995-2003, all of them soft, rhythmic collections of brilliant melodic folk-rock. With a title that by itself should sell the album, Oh! Mighty Engine is his second solo release (it came out nearly a year ago but was never spotted in Australia, hence my delay), after the stellar Sleeping Roads.
And this is a doozy, as one hears from the very first title track (the ‘mighty engine’ refers to creativity ‘purring softly inside me’). A quiet countdown launches into strumming acoustic guitar, a lone shaker, some bass and later some slide . . . then in comes Halstead’s breathy, oh-s0-British-folk voice with a trenchant tale about a partner who is a writer. He would be superb live, a modern-day pop-folk troubadour of the best kind. Instrumentation is minimal but perfect, all anchored around his acoustic or sometimes piano, sometimes running to drum machines. The lyrics are modern poetic in an evocative storytelling style, full of wordplay and sharp humour. The entire album gels a cohesive creative whole. Other track highlights include ‘Sometimes the Wheels,’ a cynical, chummy look at depression; the brighter, poppier ‘Queen Bee’; and the oh-s0-sweet love song ‘A Gentle Heart.’
Neil Halstead’s ambient, low-key style deters many of my rock music friends, but I wish they would give Oh! Mighty Engine a good going over. I’m sure the creative wonder of this man would shine through.